What I Came Here For And What I Didn't
by eosdawnaurora
Summary: Renji invites Rukia to a division event and she is flustered when she sees him there in the company of other women. For Springkink.


Written for springkink; prompt: Jealousy – His new look had all the females staring and it made her want to break things.

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"Oi! Rukia! Got a second?" called Renji from across the wide, stone-paved plaza outside the Thirteenth Division's main headquarters.

Her expression perked up at the sound of his voice and looking around for him, Rukia hefted closer to her chest the pile of thick books that she was bringing back to the Eighth Division for her Captain. Captain Ukitake was bedridden again, but he liked to read when he wasn't resting and Captain Kyouraku often sent over material he thought his friend would appreciate.

She could have had someone else do this she supposed, now that she was a lieutenant she could do things like delegate work, but it was a lovely day, good for a stroll and she was looking forward to talking to Nanao. Renji really had terrible timing, but she couldn't help smiling back at him. She stopped and waited patiently with her burden for him to catch up to her.

"I am busy, what do you need?" Rukia said, looking up at him. She was still getting used to how much he'd let his hair grow out. Renji's brilliant red mane was much longer than before, falling past his shoulders. With the rough black cloth he'd taken to winding around his forehead and topknot, it looked quite attractive.

The fight against Aizen had changed things about everyone who'd been there, though only some of it reflected physically. She liked how Renji had gained a sort of calm self-assurance in contrast to his more wild appearance; these were acceptable changes.

Rukia still wondered if he liked her new haircut. He said her shorter hair was cute, which wasn't precisely what she'd been going for – rather a more mature, somber appearance. Also, part of her wanted more than a smile and a quick caress in passing from him.

"Oh, sorry. Want some help with that?" he said, gesturing at the books.

"No, just tell me what you are on about," she said, hugging her burden possessively and shaking her head.

"There's a little get-together tonight out in the field behind the sakura grove, over at the Sixth Division barracks. We're all gonna view the meteor shower together. I'm not allowed to invite anyone from the Eleventh, but your brother said I can ask whoever else I want to." The summer weather hadn't quite reached the boiling point yet and the sky was cloudless. If it stayed that way this would be an excellent night for such a gathering.

Rukia was confused for a moment, her brow creasing. "Hmm. I thought he said that the viewing party was going to be a formal gathering." One which she'd originally planned to sleep through. Well, right after making a brief appearance in the costly kimono her brother had commissioned for her for the evening. He seemed to like buying her expensive things that she didn't ask for, which sometimes felt like him spoiling her to make up for the years he'd neglected her. She didn't mind that part too much, but the stuffy parties where she had to be aware of every footfall and bat of her eyelashes could get very trying.

Renji laughed. "Uh, yeah over at the Kuchiki estate. I'm talking about the one for the rest of us at the Sixth. I guess you're going to be at that other party instead?" he said, and his mouth drawing down, he looked a little disappointed.

"No, no, I can stop by." She'd much rather be able to be herself and spend the evening with Renji than with her brother's uptight blue-blood friends, all night. As much as she loved her brother, sometimes they had different ideas of what constituted fun. Perhaps her brother would deign to visit the Sixth Division gathering so she could have the best of both worlds for a short period.

"Great, I'll see you tonight then," Renji said, flashing her a wide affectionate smile. "Remember to bring something to sit on."

"Yes, of course," she grinned back, her fingers winding together under the stack of books, which was growing heavier by the second.

Renji waved goodbye to her as he hurried off towards the Tenth Division. Regretting that she couldn't wave back, she wondered just how many people he planned to invite. No doubt a contingent from the Eleventh would show up anyway, just as they always did. Renji had friends everywhere, acquiring them so unconsciously she'd never been able to help but be a little jealous. She did have the consolation though, that she would always be the one closest to him.

Or so she thought, as she entered the grounds of the Sixth Division under a veil of shooting stars. Even from as far back as the front gate she could hear raucous laughter and mingled voices. This was a very different atmosphere to the quiet, sober one her brother cultivated when he was present.

Paper lanterns in soft purple and red and blue were strung along the path back through the grove, down into what was most days a practice field. The light was subtle and muted, so as not to outshine the stars which the lanterns were leading her to view.

The effect was pleasing enough that she decided that Renji must have had a good deal of help setting up. She couldn't see him doing much more than throwing down a blanket and opening a bottle of sake, in terms of preparations.

Around a hundred shinigami were present, she estimated, spread out over the wide grassy field on colorful blankets. Some were reclining, laying on their backs watching the show above, others sat up playing drinking games or singing bawdy ballads once they were too drunk for the games. She recognized seated officers from several other divisions, and among them quite a few of the other lieutenants.

Since she didn't see Renji immediately, she looked for the outline of Hisagi's spiky head. Nine times out of ten Renji would be with him if Ikkaku wasn't around.

Hisagi, however, was with Kira and Matsumoto and not Renji. She smiled, watching the three of them trying to entice the fifth seat of the Sixth to balance a sake cup on his nose. Looking for another generally rowdy group, she noticed some party crashers from the Eleventh. He wasn't with them either.

Rukia made a face. There was no way he'd leave without at least waiting until she arrived, she was sure of it. He was tall enough that he'd stick out in a gathering like this, even though the lighting wasn't that great, there was no way she could miss him and his red crest of hair just sitting around. She sensed for his reiatsu. He was close, somewhere off to the left.

"Rukia! Where have you been?" she heard him say, and her eyes finally settled on his face.

"Renji!" she said, eyes wide. His hair had been taken down, which he only did before bed, and was why she overlooked him initially.

He wasn't alone either, three females all from other divisions were kneeling in a half circle around him. One of them had Renji's hairband and the long steel pin he used to fasten it in her hands. They all seemed to recognize her and the fact that she didn't address Renji by his title or his last name.

The sound of cloth ripping broke her from staring in shock, and she realized she'd ripped the cushion she'd brought with her almost in half.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, hiding the ruined cushion behind her.

"Uh, waiting for you. Can I have my hair tie back now Mashida-san?" he asked, holding his hand out. He didn't seem like he was being anything more than friendly, but Rukia couldn't help but glare icily at the lot of them.

"Of course, Lieutenant," she said, and she did so, then got up to leave.

"See you later," one of the others said. The three of them made short, flirty bows at Renji, ignoring Rukia though she was their superior, and scurried off.

"What was that all about?" Rukia asked, unsettled by the surge of rage that had come over her so quickly.

"They thought it would be hilarious to pull the pin out of my hairband, and Mashida-san wanted to fix it for me," he said, as he started wrapping the length of thick cloth around his head again.

"Oh she did, did she?" Rukia's frown quirked to the side, watching him. An obvious ploy by that woman to get to run her fingers through his hair. "You should be more careful. Women like that are trouble."

He laughed, and smiled over at her. "Don't worry, I didn't invite them, they invited themselves."

"Why would I worry?" she asked, her eyebrow lifting in a delicate arch.

"You sounded upset," Renji said, and Rukia wanted to throw something. She was not upset, she could not possibly have gotten visibly upset enough that he would notice it, because that would just be embarrassing.

"Oh ho ho, that is ridiculous, I'm fine. Ah, look! A shooting star - and another one!" she said, pointing up at a fading streak in the sky, eager to break away from the direction their conversation was heading. Rukia Kuchiki, Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division, was not jealous of some lowly unranked woman who could not keep her hands to herself. Not to mention this was obviously Renji's fault for being so attractive.

She scooted closer to him trying to banish her ugly, unfair thoughts, looking over to see him staring at the sky. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him firmly and he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "There's only one star I wanted to see tonight," he murmured near her ear.

Rukia felt a blush rise to her cheeks and she smiled smugly.


End file.
